Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for Moscow’s support for Tehran during its ongoing conflict with the United States.
Pezeshkian made the remarks on Tuesday during his first meeting with Putin since the war began, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
The Iranian president praised Russia’s position during the conflict and its support for Tehran despite US sanctions imposed against Iran.
“We appreciate and thank you for your positions at every stage, both during the period when the fighting and acts of aggression were taking place and under normal circumstances, when the United States was imposing sanctions on us, both at the United Nations and in international forums,” Pezeshkian told Putin.
He said Moscow and Tehran’s relationship had developed beyond ordinary diplomatic ties.
“This shows that our relationship is a strategic relationship; it is not an ordinary relationship,” Pezeshkian added.
An earlier statement from the Iranian presidency said the two leaders reviewed bilateral relations and discussed ways to strengthen cooperation across various sectors.
The meeting came after Pezeshkian said Tehran would reciprocate if Washington returned to its commitments under a June memorandum aimed at ending the conflict.
“I state explicitly that if the United States returns to its commitments under the aforementioned Memorandum of Understanding, the Islamic Republic of Iran will immediately take reciprocal action,” he said, according to the Iranian presidency.
Pezeshkian and Putin last met at a summit in Turkmenistan in December 2025.
The conflict between Iran and the United States began on February 28 after US and Israeli strikes killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, alongside senior military officials.
Iran responded with retaliatory attacks across the region as the conflict widened.
Tehran subsequently blockaded the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global energy supplies, while Washington imposed a naval counter-blockade on Iranian ports.
An April 8 ceasefire ended the most intense phase of the fighting, but sporadic attacks, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz, have continued to undermine prospects for a permanent peace agreement.
The United States has also shifted towards what its officials describe as a campaign of “economic asphyxiation” against Iran, including increased financial pressure and sanctions.
During a meeting in Saint Petersburg in late April, Putin told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi that Russia would do “everything” possible to help secure peace in the Middle East.
